Monday, November 7, 2011

Thanks to a good friend living in Hong Kong i have an exclusive report with dozens of pictures of the new Toy Story Land which is opening officially November 18. Last Friday you saw the HKDL official pictures but today we will have a look to the new land in details and specially at what are the new elements which don't exist in the WDS version.

In fact, and although the three main rides have a similar theming, as we will see there is many decor elements which are new in the HKDL Toy Story Land version. For each picture showing something that doesn't exist at the WDS version i will put a big "NEW" in the caption.

There we go, and above you have a picture of the entrance. But before HKDL guests arrive to this entrance there is a little path going from Fantasyland to Toy Story Land which probably help to separate enough the new land to avoid visual intrusion of TSL high structures. All the big bamboos help to hide them and also give the feeling that Andy's toys are "in Andy's garden".

On the left of the entrance, and it's the first NEW element, there is the giant Woody. In case you wonder why they didn't put the giant Buzz Lightyear as they did at the WDS TSL, i remind you that HKDL already have a giant Buzz in Tomorrowland at the entrance of the Buzz Lightyear attraction.

Also NEW and on the right at the entrance this giant Tinkertoy construction set box. It's a pretty smart idea to have put this at the entrance as Tinkertoy is a child toy well known in the U.S but chances are that it is less known in Hong Kong. So it will help HKDL guests to understand from where are inspired the "Tinkertoy" decor elements of Toy Story Land.

Also NEW the Crayola crayons visual used on the backstage door. Note the "Andy" letters on it.

First attraction on the left is the Slinky Dog Spin ride, and most of the theming is the same than at the WDS TSL but the Slinky Dog sign at the entrance stands here on its own.

Also NEW, and a good idea, this Slinky Dog Barking Pass!

Close to the Lincoln Logs of Slinky Dog Spin ride is located Rex and as i've said in my previous update the kids here can't climb on it.

Totally NEW, and it looks great, the Jessie's Snack Round-Up! It will be smart to put one similar at WDS Toy Story Land...

Next to it, and also NEW, the giant flower umbrellas. HKDL guests can sit under them to eat what they've just bought at Jessie's Snack Round-Up.

Also NEW the Woody's Roundup Card Game area.

Not so far from is the blue monkey barrel which also exist at the WDS, but as in HKDL it is not used as a second exit, it is smaller and apparently it's also used as a character photo location with Woody and Jessie.

Definitely NEW the Moon Patrol ice cream cart!

Taking about ice cream, the cup of this frozen yogurt - HKDL guests can choose many different toppings - is cool and NEW.

Totally NEW is this "street animatronic" moving inside Toy Story Land. Kids love to play with it by turning the different parts.

Oh-Kay, that's the end of the part one, don't miss the part two coming in my next article as there will be plenty of others "new" TSL decor elements to discover!

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Thanks for the report. When I first heard they were putting TSL in HKDL I thought the Imagineers made a big mistake. After looking at these photos, I now don't see it as such a bad thing. I think putting it at WDSP first allowed them to improve on minor details and allowed for the land to shine in a park that deserves it more (not that WDSP does not deserve it but it is a second gate while HKDL is supposed to be the star attraction). I see TSL as no different than the Toontowns Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Magic Kingdom recieved back in the 90s. It is the same concept in my opinion but updated to audiences of 2011. I would much rather have gone here instead of MK's Toontown. The detailing is amazing and the attention to detail is extraordinary. While I wish there was a traditional dark ride, I think the Imagineers did a great job.

Kidding aside, this is way more akin to Flik's Fun Fair at DCA or Dinoland USA at AK than Toontown at Disneyland or Tokyo (Magic Kingdom's is a completely other story as it was initially meant as a temporary area.)

Toowntown at least has a big-budget dark ride (Roger Rabbit) with an amazing queue -- something that truly serves as an anchor and reason for those lands to exist.

Toy Story Land -- like Flik's and Dinoland consist of variations of basic carnival attractions with some nice Disney theming. They're wastes of space IMO, enjoyed only by the little ones.

Disney charges $70+ to walk into their parks now, it's insulting to me to know that money goes to the research and development of such uninspired work compared to what the company is really capable of.

I absolutely agree with you Anonymous. BTW, I think that, besides the Roger Rabbit dark ride that alone is 10x better than this entire excuse for a land, Toontown is much better than TSL, at least Mickey's and Minnie's houses were a new and different concept, not seen in other places. Flik's Fun Fair is really a waste of space, like TSL, but at least they have the It's tough to be a bug movie, the same goes to Dinoland, but they have one of the greatest Disney attractions ever there, the Dinosaurs dark ride.

Thanks for the report. These pictures show Disney is finally going back to covering the tiny details. While I personally agree more with Garcia, I am far less critical of the project. I understand that this land is based more on licensing than anything else. I'm actually not opposed to that at all, as I understand this land isn't targeting me. Which brings me to where I have an issue: while, again, I believe a better themed land could have been built, we got Toy Story instead. Okay, cool, but could you at least make it bearable to the rest of us? Maybe an attraction that is at least exciting, like moving Astro Blasters or Woody's Roundup, or a new show that focuses on Star Command. I jus believe even though the "toy chest" theming went over well, WDI chose not to explore the Toy Story Universe and characters out enough for me.

P.S. I'll even take Toy Story Mania. Maybe even take it out of it's eye-sore position at Tokyo DisneySea. Hey, a man can dream, right?

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